Surrounded
by Michrure
Summary: In how many ways can one single person fall in love? Oneshots. Alicia involving various pairings. Contains minor spoilers. Update: Dylan
1. Rufus: Gentle

Summary: In how many ways can one single person fall in love? Oneshots. Alicia involving various pairings. Contains minor spoilers.

**Rufus: Gentle**

It was early in the morning when Alicia found herself waking up. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and was greeted with the fresh flush of the morning sun beaming serenely on her face. Her body was curled up near the trunk of a tree and even though they had slept in the middle of the woods last night, she felt relaxed and comfortable in the niche of soft grass underneath her. The fresh smelling scent of the woodland around her made her smile faintly.

When she finally allowed herself to sit up she could see that everyone else was still fast asleep. She did not blame them for such strong repose even in the morning sunlight because the previous nights had been particularly lengthy and tiresome.

Alicia could see that all of them looking lost in dreams but one single person. Rufus lay near her in his own spot but his brows were furrowed and his lips pursed tightly. The archer looked in pain and Alicia concluded that he must be having a nightmare. Rufus turned and shifted every few moments and she could see his fists clenching firmly. Worried, Alicia moved quietly over and sat down near him. She reached out a gentle hand to touch his brow reassuringly and soothed him with a soft hum of a lullaby that she had often heard as a child.

Rufus seemed to relax for a few long moments under her ministrations which please her. Alicia did not like seeing her travel mate looking so discontent even in his sleep. With seeing that he had calmed down, Alicia was about to stand up and go fetch some fresh morning water. When she pulled her hand away from his brow though he stirred and woke, Alicia instantly gave him a soft smile and asked him if he was well.

Rufus blinked up at her before he grinned sheepishly. His smile made her heart warm. He explained to her in his easy, humorous tone that he felt childish for having to have her watch over him. Alicia only laughed kindly.

Alicia settled herself again as Rufus sat up and adjusted the red cloth in his long hair. She asked him timidly what he had been dreaming of that would make him look so pained. Rufus seemed reluctant to answer at first before he shrugged and spoke. The archer explained that he had a nightmare of having his body ripped apart by Odin himself, only to be sewn together with some sort of silver thread that delicately held his limbs together. His description made Alicia shudder lightly in astonishment and her eyes widened. To have such an explicit dream would have scared her as well. Rufus was quick to lace a sarcastic comment into his explanation to ease her worrying by telling her that even Odin, the king of the gods, had flaws in which he had horrible needlework skills.

Alicia smiled at the comment and nodded her head. She watched him for a little while as he adjusted to make sure the red cloth was still in place. Alicia assumed that Rufus used the cloth to hide the tips of his ears because of his appearance, although she did not understand why he had to do such a thing while amongst understanding friends. When she told him this gently he laughed but had a trivial flush grow across his cheeks. He stopped his fiddling finally.

Rufus told her about his insecurities about being a vessel for the gods next. He told her in that once humorous tone now so serious that she thought he might start to tremble. Alicia listened carefully as he told her that he felt angry at the gods for not letting him become his own person and to exist. The dreams had made these thoughts come back to him so strongly. The pain that he felt when he took off his little ring made was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart. Rufus did not want to be a puppet lying in some attic to be pulled out and dusted off only when needed.

Alicia felt the same way. Perhaps in not such a despising way that Rufus explained but she too felt as if she was a puppet at times. Her body was being used by Silmeria and she had absolutely no control over her actions in moments. Despite her wishes she had been used in the story of fate between the mortals and the gods just as Rufus had. Sincerely, Alicia held no ill will towards Silmeria but she could still relate to the feelings that Rufus harboured. Her own were lesser than his and for that she felt more sympathy and genuine compassion for him and admired his lasting strength.

Alicia carefully shifted closer till she was sitting next to him. Rufus watched her silently as Alicia reached up to touch the red cloth. Her touch was soft and gentle against his forehead. Rufus seemed alarmed at her touch at first but soon relaxed. Alicia figured he remembered that he was amongst companions and allowed her to take off the cloth from his hair and revealed his slightly more pointed ears.

She smiled softly at him and told him there was no need to feel alone in his insecurities any longer because she was there with him in the attic as well. She told him her feelings of being a puppet and together they could be fragile together. He seemed to ponder it before laughing. She expected this from him and giggled as well. Although it was a true statement it was so poetic that someone like Rufus would only laugh it away.

After their laughing slowly stopped Rufus returned her touch. He reached up and let his fingers hover so closely to the skin of her pale neck that she shivered to her core. Rufus trailed his near touch up to her cheeks and then her hair as if memorizing her. Finally he leaned forward and placed a bold kiss to her forehead. She found herself feeling warm and loved instantly. His love was so gentle and understanding, even while amusingly teasing her for the little things he had an odd way of expressing such affection for her in ways that they would only understand.


	2. Arngrim: Passion

**Arngrim: Passion**

Arngrim had gotten angry again. The mercenary had a foul temper at times especially when it came to battles. Fire and determination would mix in his eyes as his brute strength would come down tenfold on his enemies. His broad shoulders heaved as he would bring down his massive blade unto enemies and deliver them to death. His strength was something that was wondrous and his nearly demonic fighting mentality was something to be careful of.

It was the last swing of his angry blade that brought the battle to its finish. The monster lay at his feet in a pool of its own red blood and moved no longer. Arngrim lifted his blade up from the now deceased savage beast and shook it of excess blood and grim.

Alicia often wondered what sort of past, motivation or emotion made Arngrim fight and act like so. She found herself watching him most times as he fought with every ounce of his body, every hint of valour that he could extract from himself. It scared her, frightened her, more times than once to see him slash and hack away at monsters without any sense of remorse afterwards. It puzzled her to see him so forward with battle when she felt wary of the death she might be causing.

The thought about asking him of his motivation had lingered on her mind for days. She wanted to gather enough courage to ask him about his bloodlust for the all out brawls he had. The day came today when she finally clumsily blurted out her question. He looked like he might nearly laugh at her for such a ridiculous enquiry. Her words had been simple; why did he fight like that, what made him fight with such vigour? Arngrim looked at her incredulously before giving a slack, nonchalant shrug. He lifted his massive broad sword to lie against his back again and moved to walk passed her. Alicia noted that the others had moved off ahead while she stayed behind and stared at his slowly retreating back. She asked again after seeing those tense muscles in his back.

This time Arngrim turned and bore at her a look of seriousness. He repeated her question as if to remind what an absurd question it was and how obvious the answer would be. Alicia was afraid he would not respond to her and be off in that arrogant way that he always so confidently moved about with. Instead he took a step forward much to both her relief and distress.

Passion. He said that simple word before he lifted one arm to work out the rigid kink in his muscle. He told her he had a passion for the fight and the feel of his muscles screaming out as he worked them to their maximum. She shivered and dared not to blink as he told her in his cool deep voice that she might benefit to have some more passion when it came to fighting.

Fiddling with the hem of her skirt gently, Alicia tried to refuse the urge to look away. All she could picture was the murderous look in his eye when he killed monsters and the way he looked so completely unaffected thereafter. She mumbled her response to him as if she were distressed about the answer she might receive. She told him that she did not understand one single aspect of his passion and that she would not want to be possessed like he had been.

A tense moment worked up between them. Alicia broke and looked away from his hard eyes and schooled her gaze on her shoes. She swore she could feel Arngrim looking at her in a condescending manner. When she heard the lank, heavy steps of his boots on the ground coming closer she felt as if she wanted to escape.

His hand fell on her shoulder roughly and Alicia was forced to take a step back. When she did he followed her and the routine continued until she felt her back come into contact with the coarse bark of a tree. Her hands fell to her side to steady herself against the tree and she still refused and was unable to look up at Arngrim who now hovered over her.

Arngrim held her in place and spoke in a low tone. He told her that the only way to appreciate real passion for the fight was to experience it first hand and that she had not yet had a taste of it. He told her gruffly that she had no idea of the things that he had seen and witnessed. Puzzled, Alicia dared to look up and caught the emotional eyes of his in her gaze.

Arngrim was a beast, Alicia concluded. There was no way around his violent manner of taking things, nor the way he thought of battle. There was conviction in every spot of his body and he was a mercenary to his very core. If she dare tell him this, what sort of laugh would that get from him? Alicia felt silly for not understanding his passion. The lost look on her face must have sparked Arngrim to react because the next moment she was taken for surprise.

Alicia felt rough lips on her own soft ones. Her fair eyes widened. Arngrim looked back in her timid eyes with a familiar fire in his stare that she had seen in battle so many times before. Arngrim was bent with his hand still resting on her shoulder as he continued to kiss her with no sort of regret in his body language. Alicia, not knowing how to fight back, only took the kiss in and dared not to return it. He tasted like tangy, coppery metal and kissed like a hot flame.

There was a raising heat in her face as she realized that this is what he must have meant by feeling passion. There was a raw and unavoidable feeling of pure emotion behind his kiss. Indeed, it was something that could work over someone's whole body and consume them completely. Passion was like a black hole that sucked someone in and dared not to let go until it was ridden out. Alicia felt consumed by this feeling, unable to pull away.

When Arngrim broke from the kiss and let her go, Alicia felt slightly weakened but somehow more awake. He asked her if she understood now and all Alicia could do was nod meekly. When he turned to leave without any sort of look to see if she was to follow, she quickly chased after. She felt a sudden love for his passion and a held a new respect for the way he lived. If only Alicia could posses such strong passion as Arngrim did, perhaps she would be able to be capable like him.


	3. Lezard: Lust

**Lezard: Lust**

It was late in the night when they retired to an inn. The weather was particularly chilly lately which left them unable to stay out in the woods under the stars. Alicia had not complained once since she longed for a bed and a hot fire. She should have felt tired from the long day of tiresome walking but somehow she found herself laying awake in her bed and tossing about. The night was cool but inside the inn it felt stuffy. Alicia blamed her sensitive body for not being able to sleep.

She thought back to the events of the day. It had been particularly boring with all the travelling they had done. Alicia had found herself making small conversation with Lezard the entire day because of it. They had talked about magic and of Dipan and about small things such as the moon and stars. She had enjoyed the conversations with him, although she could sense something a little deeper about the way they spoke to each other. What it was, she was not all that sure yet. She remembered back to how Lezard always gazed at her with this hidden emotion in his intelligent eyes and how he seemed to always linger there. Alicia ignored it most times but having spoken to him so much during the day she had noticed just how longingly Lezard would look at her sometimes. She had felt frightened at first with such looks but his charismatic way of speaking had pulled her in.

Alicia tossed again and finally decided she would not be able to sleep yet. Pulling the blanket back from her body she slipped out of her bedding and made for her room door as silently as she could. Her shoes and leggings were laid at the foot of her bed, her robes on the chair near the table. She wore simply her skirt and light silk top made her feel chilly in the midnight air.

She tiptoed out of her room in search of a place she might be able to relax and read something. Her bare feet felt cold again the wooden floor and her exposed legs erupted in little goose bumps. She was about to turn back and flee to her warm bed when her eye caught the flicker of firelight from the floor below.

Curious, she went to the upper level balcony and looked down into the inn common room. There she could see Lezard sitting in one of the large, cushioned chairs with a book in his hand. The man looked completely absorbed with the text, his head down and hair falling like a curtain around his face. Alicia studied the strong figure of the magic user for a few moments when he looked up and saw her as well. She found herself blushing at the look in his eyes and started to mumble an apology for staring.

Lezard smirked and shook his head. He asked her to join him near the fire where it would be much easier to watch each other if she were down with him. Alicia felt a bubble of heat in her throat at his words before she started to make her way down the steps and towards the common room.

As soon as she entered the common room she felt herself warming up. Her pale legs did not seem so chilled now that she was closer to the fire. Her eyes settled on the hot flames licking at the smouldering wood in the fireplace and she wondered just how hot those flames were. She stepped in and smiled gently to Lezard before taking a seat in the chair across from him. Lezard seemed absorbed in his book again and did not look up at her.

Alicia looked at him, though. She wandered her gaze over his coy features and his proper posture. Lezard was different from many of the others. He was often more secluded from the rest and always seemed to have something on his mind, whatever that may be. He was curious to her, and she always wondered what he might be thinking.

Her pondering was cut short when Lezard looked up at her from his book finally and held that coy smirk across his lips. Alicia found that he seemed somewhat mischievous, like a cat that was hunting a mouse. She blushed again and brought her eyes to the fire to stop her staring. The princess heard him laugh, a sound that seemed casual and promiscuous at the same time.

He asked her why she looked so flush. At first Alicia wanted to give a quick lie and say it was the hot fire but she did not and only fidgeted. She ran her hands on her lap to warm up a little bit more. When she did so, Lezard asked if she was cold. Alicia nodded.

The man stood and abandoned his book on the chair. He moved to her side and looked at the fire that she was trying so hard to concentrate on. He smirked again and told her that the fire was not going to get any hotter than it already was. He said that some magic might help it out but such a thing might wake up the entire building, and that he might still help her warm up in other ways.

Alicia looked up at him, puzzled. She had not remembered asking him if he could help her warm up. When she looked up at him there was that distinct look in his eyes that she had remembered from the day and a hot string of anticipation welled up in her stomach.

What was that look and why did it make her feel so heated? Lezard was a powerful man, but with it, it seemed as though he was constantly searching for something. There was a dominate look in his hard eyes that excited her and frightened her at the same time. Her youthful mind must have caught those looks but how could they be avoided when he always grasped her attention? She concluded that Lezard was a dangerous man, with a mind as hot as fire and with getting to close, she might get burned.

When Lezard reached out a hand to take her chin in his fingers Alicia stilled. Confused, she only watched up and saw lust in his eyes. This realization donned on her and she felt the need to escape. He was so fierce, intense, that it made Alicia wanted to back away. Captured, Alicia was stuck in his burning gaze.

Lezard noted this by closing the distance between them and leaned in to touch their lips together. Alicia wanted to shift away and leave but she was caught by his other hand. His grip seemed suddenly tight on her chin and he held her wrist. She struggled against him and the kiss became sloppy but Lezard persisted in his pursuit of stealing her breath away.

Alicia did not want to feel overcome by him. Her heart started to beat quickly in her chest. Her eyes burned at him but she could only see that lust reflecting in his eyes. What had come over Lezard to take her lips like this, she asked herself. She once read in a book that lust was a form of love but was this really some form of love that he was expressing? Her naivety didn't leave her with an answer.

Lezard let go of her wrist and with it she tried to push him away until she felt that hand tickle gently across her bare thigh. Alicia felt her cheeks burn brighter and she made a whimpering noise. His touch was demanding with that same searching feeling he always seemed to have. What was Lezard trying to accomplish with his touches? Alicia let herself become weak in his grasp and gave into his touching finally when she realized that perhaps Lezard was looking for something inside her. His fingers felt her skin and wandered up her thin skirt which left prickling shivers dancing across her skin. She trembled against him, now not fighting back as he began to kiss her chin. Kisses trailed down her neck and she felt completely consumed.

Her book had said that there was a thin line between lust and love. She wanted to believe this was about love, but knew such a thing would not exist inside of Lezard. He was a powerful man, and men like that did not seek love. Alicia could not believe that there was a line between his feelings and love, no; his lust must have been his heart, a love that had turned foul.

His fingers curled tightly between her legs and as a jolt of pleasure rocketed up her spine and she trembled against him she could feel his smirk against her neck. The emotion rolled off him in waves. Lezard began to nip at her skin leaving wet marks. Soon, Alicia felt so consumed she had not realized that she had grasped onto his robes and was trying to hold him closer.

Something felt as if it exploded in her. Alicia threw back her head and bit at her lip to stop from screaming out. Her body shook until she finally fell slack and held tightly onto Lezard. The man was slow to remove his wet fingers from her but as he did, she felt a cold again. Blurrily, she looked up at him where he only kissed her lips once more.

Lezard suddenly looked expectantly at her. Confused, Alicia only tugged lightly at his robes. Alicia wanted the heat to rise up in her again but Lezard seemed to be looking deep into her eyes, almost as if right past her.

It was only until after she realized Silmeria had not said a word, not tried to save her from this, that she registered the look of anger and disappointment in his face.

Lust was a different type of love.


	4. Dylan: Loyal

**Dylan: Loyal**

The cliff was just a little too high for her to reach. A flush made its way across her cheeks as she realized this and the aspect that her photon emissions would be useless as well. Here, she could not conjure up the same shivering feeling into her palms to expel the beam of light. The ability just would not come here until they could reach the top of this cliff. Although many of them had simply climbed up the rock face with a jump and a hoist of their upper body strength, she found herself falling extremely short. Alicia stood alone at the bottom and looked up to see that Dylan was watching her expectantly. She figured the others cared less enough to continue on a few steps without her.

She mumbled something before she shifted her weight to one foot and stepped closer to the cliff. Taking a soft breath in she then jumped and tried to reach her hands high enough to grasp the top of the cliff. She was only a few paces short and she came back down to the ground. The front of her clothing became smeared with dirt and she huffed. She brought a hand of up brush the dirt all off.

Alicia would have felt more frustrated and embarrassed if the others had seen her. Yet, she felt only a little bit irritated at her inability to jump up with Dylan there only. She always could see judgement in the eyes of her companions but could only see the simple and endearing look of encouragement from his hard, steely ones. Dylan never had once thought bad of her talents or her lack of athletic skill, had he? The mammoth warrior always supported her and as she brushed off the earth from her skirt, he gave it to her all the same. His gruff voice rang out to her telling the princess to be strong and to try again. Alicia could not help but feel a flutter of ease in her stomach.

Looking up at him she smiled brightly and nodded. He returned this with his own gruff nod and padded a large hand against the earth. He told her it was a mere few more inches for her fingers to reach and it would be simple for her. She chuckled a moment and wondered how he got that this would be simple for her. His tone was so deep and thundering in his conviction. Alicia wondered how he could be so menacing with his looks but seem so soft with his encouragement for her.

Alicia tried again and failed again. This time she felt a prick of wet tears lift to her eyes at this for it seemed so trivial. How could she not simply climb up a bit of a cliff?

She was about to call upon Silmeria for her athletic help when she heard the earth pound and the ground under her rumble. Alicia felt startled and brought her hands up to her heart to calm herself. When she turned a bit she saw Dylan hovering near her, his tall and massive stance blocking out the sun. Alicia compared the rays of light behind him to a halo that seemed to glow around his head, although such an angelic quality seemed ironic on his barbaric appearance.

Dylan looked down on her with those same narrowed eyes that seemed scarred with too many battles. He asked her politely in the respect only he could hold for her if he could help lift her up the cliff. Alicia blushed at this and shifted her glance between him and the cliff. Next, she glanced down at her skirt and though of the aspect of him lifting her. Surely that was not something a boy should be doing for a girl but her childish thoughts seemed to be silly in the next moment.

As if he had thought the same thing, Dylan took a step back from her and bowed his head. His long greyish hair fell into his eyes and he closed them to avert them from her figure. He told her in that brutish tone that he would keep his eyes closed and not once dare to touch her inappropriately. Dylan stood stone in his decision as if he were being as stern with a promise to an unconvinced parent.

Her bright eyes lay on Dylan for a moment as she thought. She demolished her thoughts of her skirt and her inability almost as quickly as Dylan had made it clear to hold complete respect for her. Dylan was her loyal warrior and tied to her soul, never once had she seen him judge her or fail to protect her from any blows in battle. Such loyalty was something that was rare in many people but with Dylan it seemed never-ending and forever strong. This sort of love that he held for her in the respect that he loved his country, loved his princess, made her feel warm inside. No matter her flaws or her inadequate skills, Dylan acted as if she was the only one worthy to be his princess.

Smiling, Alicia reached out and touched his ragged hair. She pushed the locks that fell into his eyes away from his hardened solemn face to tuck it behind his ears. This motion and affection did not induce any movement from Dylan as his obedience held strong. He stood stone still and allowed anything that she wanted. Alicia touched her fingered to his cheek and felt the materialized, rough skin.

Alicia would never take his loyalty for granted. Never would she ever think of taking such protective and obedient love for her advantage. In return for his loyalty to her, she would respect him just the same. Nodding, she told him she would appreciate the help and asked him to help lift her up. She was quick to tell him that she would try to do it on her own next time which she was only rewarded with an encouraging nod from him.

When he finally opened his eyes, she allowed him to help. His huge hands held her carefully around the petite waist as he lifted her without effort. Alicia felt feather light in his grasp, like she could spread her arms and he would lift her into the sky to fly. Reaching up, Alicia curled her thin fingers tightly into the ground at the edge of the cliff and pulled herself up as Dylan made sure to keep her from falling. When she was finally up the top of the cliff Dylan joined her with ease.

They stood at the top of the cliff and she could hear the shouts of the others up ahead telling them to stop being so slow. Alicia looked that way a moment before she looked up at Dylan and thanked him politely. He told her he was unworthy of her thanks and bowed his head nonetheless. The heavy warrior was about to turn away from her to continue on before Alicia reached out to tug his hand. She held it in hers before saying thank you again and saying that there wasn't enough times that she could say it to really tell him how much she owed him for his strength and companionship.

Dylan looked at her with that same love in his eyes, the loyalty that only a purely devoted soldier could possess. Her hand felt so small in his but she felt protected by having it there. Dylan soon nodded in gratitude while saying that he was appreciative for such honourable words.

Alicia found that there was no way around Dylan and his way of expression such an ancient way of loyalty. His use of words made her giggle again and she smiled brightly.

When her giggling smoothed out to a stop, Dylan lifted her hand in his and bent down to place a kiss on her ring finger. His lips were rough just as he was but there was a hidden softness to such an act, the devotion that she could feel from his being made her so very warm in her heart. They stood together like that for a moment with his lips pressed to the soft skin of her hand until he courteously let go and kept his eyes from her face.

She smiled and huffed at his stern action but followed him closely as they continued on their way.


End file.
